Norovirus Hits Over 70 People Aboard Royal Caribbean Cruise

Above, the Royal Caribbean ship, Majesty of the Seas, in Havana
 Port. I caught a cold on this cruise ship. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

There is one main reason that cruise ship traveling is not my favorite way to vacation: diseases.

Two out of three cruises I have taken had me get sick. They were relatively minor, one a 24-hour flu and the other a head cold.  

With the trend of cruise lines introducing bigger cruise ships, carrying around 5,000 passengers and crew, they are floating petri dishes. 

It has happened again. An outbreak of norovirus occurred on board a Royal Caribbean ship 

According to NBC News:

Over 70 people aboard a 13-day Royal Caribbean cruise have reportedly fallen ill from norovirus ahead of its final destination in Miami, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.

The outbreak on the Royal Caribbean International ship Serenade of the Seas, which departed from San Diego on Sept. 19 and is scheduled to arrive in Miami on Thursday, was reported to the CDC's Vessel Sanitation Program on Sunday. The program is set to help prevent and control the introduction and spread of gastrointestinal illnesses on cruise ships.

The CDC reported that 71 out of 1,874 passengers and one of 883 crew members have "reported being ill during the voyage" and noted that predominant symptoms included diarrhea and vomiting.

To read more, go here. 

Secretary RFK Jr.: Restore The CDC

 

The CDC once stood as the world’s most trusted guardian of public health. But bureaucracy, politicized science, and mission creep corroded its mission and destroyed public trust.

My mission is clear: restore the CDC’s focus on infectious disease, drive innovation, and rebuild… pic.twitter.com/wpqB7fO5UG

— Secretary Kennedy (@SecKennedy) September 3, 2025

Ships That Got The Best (and Worst) CDC Sanitation Scores

Above, the Norwegian Sky scored a perfect 100 for sanitation in May. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It is nice to know that a ship I took a cruise on scored well in the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Vessel Sanitation Program.

Maybe that's why I didn't contract any illness during the cruise. 

USA Today reported:

Gastrointestinal illnesses like norovirus can be unfortunate anywhere, but they can be especially miserable on cruise ships, where they can easily spread without proper sanitation. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Vessel Sanitation Program is specifically designed to help keep GI illnesses from spreading on cruises by inspecting vessels, responding to outbreaks, training ship supervisors, and more.  

So far, this year, only two cruise ships have failed inspection, but several others have been close to the edge. Here’s how to find the sanitation reports for any ship sailing to the U.S.  

How are ships scored?  

Ships are scored on a scale of 100 for how well they’re keeping standards set in the VSP Operations Manual and given recommendations for addressing any issues.  

A score of 86 or above is considered satisfactory. Anything below that is considered failing.  

The ship I took on a cruise to the Bahamas in August had scored a perfect 100:

•  Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Sky in May 

It was one of twenty ships that scored 100. 

To read more, go here. 

Twitter Files: It Just Gets Dirtier With Government "Secret Portal"

Thanks to Elon Musk, we now know that the government had a secret portal in Twitter to censor free speech by reporting anything they felt was "misinformation."

Twitter Files 4 has been released.

The Gateway Pundit reported:

More damning evidence of collusion between the CDC and social media companies to stifle free speech and censor the public was revealed in the fourth batch of explosive documents obtained from litigation against the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released by the nonprofit organization America First Legal (AFL).

Twitter allowed government officials and other “stakeholders” to use a secret portal called, “Partner Support Portal” to report anything they believed to be “misinformation.”

Previously, back in July 2021, TGP reported on Dr. Shiva Ayyadurai and his investigation, where he uncovered Twitter’s “partner support portal.”

Dr. Shiva discovered that Twitter built a special portal offered to certain governmental entities so that government officials can flag and delete content they dislike for any reason, as part of what they call their “Twitter Partner Status.”

Now there is more evidence to back up this theory.

According to documents obtained by AFL, one government employee was enrolled in this Portal through their personal Twitter account.

Other publicly available documents indicated that Facebook had adopted a similar strategy for censoring content concerning rigged elections.

According to AFL, “This production also reveals that the U.S. government was actively working to “socially inoculate”–or brainwashing–the public against anything that threatened its narrative. It did so by using aligned Big Tech corporations to monitor and manipulate users for the purposes of censoring unapproved information and pushing government propaganda. For example, Facebook sent written materials to the CDC in which it bragged about censoring more than sixteen million “pieces of content” containing opinions or information the U.S. government wanted suppressed.”

Funny how the drive-by media has avoided the Twitter Files story.

To read more, go here.

CDC Ends Its COVID-19 Cruise Ship Program

Above, dinnertime aboard the Majesty of the Seas in 2019 while en route to Cuba.

The CDC ended it COVID-19 program for cruise ships.

Never mind that cruise ships are floating petri dishes anyway. I've been on two cruises (one to Alaska and one to Cuba) and both times I've caught a bug. 

USA Today reported:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ended its COVID-19 Program for Cruise Ships on Monday.

"CDC has worked closely with the cruise industry, state, territorial, and local health authorities, and federal and seaport partners to provide a safer and healthier environment for cruise passengers and crew," the agency's website reads. "Cruise ships have access to guidance and tools to manage their own COVID-19 mitigation programs."

The CDC added that "while cruising poses some risk of COVID-19 transmission, CDC will continue to publish guidance to help cruise ships continue to provide a safer and healthier environment for crew, passengers, and communities going forward."

To read the full article, go here. 

CDC Extends Federal Mask Mandate

Above, yours truly at the Albuquerque Sunport. Photo by Mitch Geriminsky.

Here we go again!

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (or is it the Centers for People Control and Tyranny?) has extended the transportation mask mandate for two more weeks. Apparently, they think masks are effective. They are as effective as keeping mosquitoes out of your yard with a chain-link fence.

The Epoch Times reported:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has extended the federal mask mandate for transportation for two more weeks, citing the small recent increase in COVID-19 cases.

The order will remain in place another 15 days, until May 3, to let officials at the agency assess whether the BA.2 virus subvariant drives a fresh wave of cases.

“In order to assess the potential impact the rise of cases has on severe disease, including hospitalizations and deaths, and health care system capacity, the CDC order will remain in place at this time,” the CDC said in a statement.

The order was first imposed in January 2021 and applies to trains, airplanes, and other modes of transportation under purview of federal officials, as well as transportation hubs like airports.

To read more, go here. 

CDC Advises Against Cruise Travel Amid COVID-19 Surge

Above, cruise ship passengers on deck for an emergency drill. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Well, this is certainly not any kind of a surprise.

The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) just raised their travel warning for cruise ships up to Level 4 due to the outbreak of the Omicron coronavirus variant. This is not a surprise since cruise ships are floating petri dishes anyway.

TravelPulse reported:

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) elevated its travel warning for cruise ships from Level 3 to Level 4, the highest level, on Thursday.

The latest update advises people to avoid traveling by cruise ship regardless of their COVID-19 vaccination status and comes on the heels of a recent uptick in positive coronavirus cases as the Omicron variant continues to spread worldwide.

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that are common in many different species of animals, including camels, cattle, cats, and bats.

The CDC's latest guidance warns that the virus spreads quickly and easily between people sharing close quarters such as some environments onboard a cruise ship.

Isn't life grand?

To read more, go here. 

COVID-19 Clusters Cropping Up On Cruise Ships, CDC Investigating

Above, despite my best efforts, I still caught a cold on my cruise to Havana,
Cuba. Cruise ships ae essentially floating petri dishes. Photo by Mitch Geriminsky.

Floating petri dishes, a.k.a. cruise ships, are seeing clusters of COVID-19 infections in recent days.

This is all happening despite strict requirements of passengers of being vaccinated and having negative tests before boarding. In all actuality, having so many people (1,500+) on board a ship with limited areas is an invitation for sickness. 

According to TravelPulse:

With the highly-transmissible and possibly vaccine-resistant Omicron variant fueling a new wave of COVID-19 across the nation, infections are beginning to crop up on cruise ships. This, despite the fact that cruise companies’ policies require that all eligible passengers be fully vaccinated and test negative prior to boarding, and that all crew also be fully vaccinated.

Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean and MSC Cruises have all seen clusters of cases emerge aboard one or more of their vessels in recent days. While it’s suspected that Omicron is responsible for causing the breakthrough infections, it hasn’t been definitively identified.  

Because the cruise lines already have comprehensive protections in place, including vaccination and testing requirements, designed to avoid allowing COVID-19 onboard, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has begun investigations into the sudden rash of cruise-ship cases.

To read more, go here. 

Wuhan Chinese nano-bots?

CDC Adds Eight Destinations To Highest Travel Risk Levels

International travel is not the smartest thing to do right now. Anyone planning an overseas trip at this time should have their head examined. Imagine getting sick with COVID-19 overseas and the travel insurance one purchased doesn't cover it?

The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has added more countries to their list of highest travel risks.

According to TravelPulse:

Spain and seven other destinations have been now designated by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) with the highest travel risk level, encouraging American travelers to not travel to these countries.

The CDC has been measuring the travel risks of each country due to the coronavirus pandemic. The greater the transmission in a country, the higher their risk level. The highest level, Level 4, is given to a country that sees more than 500 cases per 100,000 residents within the past 28 days.

To read more, go here. 

CDC Issues New Travel Warning: Italy and Other Countries At Level 4

If one is planning to travel to Italy and other European nations, they'd best read the latest from the CDC. They have been added into a new travel warning due to the coronavirus.

From TravelPulse:

The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) added several popular tourism destinations to the highest level of its travel advisory list.

According to Reuters.com, the CDC added Italy, Greenland and Mauritius to its “Level 4: Very High” list, warning American citizens to avoid travel to the nations due to ongoing concerns about coronavirus outbreaks.

The CDC now lists 84 destinations on its Level 4 travel advisory, including most of Europe.

To read more, go here. 

When You're Fully Vaccinated

Two weeks have passed since I received my Pfizer COVID-19 booster shot.

I became curious about the vaccine and booster and decided to check the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention.

In a nutshell, in regards to the vaccine, the CDC says:

COVID-19 vaccines are effective at protecting you from getting sick. Based on what we know about COVID-19 vaccines, people who have been fully vaccinated can do things that they had stopped doing because of the pandemic.

These recommendations can help you make decisions about daily activities after you are fully vaccinated. They are not intended for healthcare settings.

In general, people are considered fully vaccinated: ±

• 2 weeks after their second dose in a 2-dose series, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or 

• 2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine

If you don’t meet these requirements, regardless of your age, you are NOT fully vaccinated. Keep taking all precautions until you are fully vaccinated.

 In regards to the booster (from Johns Hopkins Medicine):

What is a COVID-19 vaccine booster?

A COVID booster shot is an additional dose of a vaccine given after the protection provided by the original shot(s) has begun to decrease over time. Typically, you would get a booster after the immunity from the initial dose(s) naturally starts to wane. The booster is designed to help people maintain their level of immunity for longer.

 

New U.S. International Travel Rules: What To Expect

Above, an United Airlines jet being readied for an overseas flight. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The announcement of the new system for international travel for U.S. citizens contained some good news and some not so new.

TravelPulse has posted an article on things to expect with the new rules. These include higher prices and longer lines.

The wrote:

We’re fast approaching November 8, the date the United States’ new system for international travel goes into effect, and fully vaccinated foreign visitors can enter the country under a simpler and more inclusive set of COVID-19 regulations.

Under the new rules, international air arrivals coming from more than 30 countries must be fully vaccinated and provide a negative COVID-19 test taken within three days of boarding their U.S.-bound flight.

The relaxation of U.S. border restrictions means that foreigners from more than 30 countries, whose citizens have been blanketly banned from entering the U.S. for the past 19 months, may visit for non-essential purposes—perhaps to reunite with friends or family or simply to vacation. That comes as most welcome news to the U.S. travel industry, which was categorically brought to its knees by fallout from the pandemic.

In its announcement earlier this week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also stipulated that airlines are to be responsible for collecting passengers’ information and passing it on to the agency for contact-tracing purposes. That’s expected to put additional strain on airport operations, since many carriers are still struggling to keep up in terms of adequate staffing levels and re-training.

Daniel Burnham, senior member operations specialist at Scott’s Cheap Flights, predicted that, with airline personnel being burdened with collecting contact information, and verifying each passenger’s vaccination status and test results, “this will likely cause crowding in the early days of implementing these new rules at many European airports,” as he told NBC News.

So, international travelers trying to fly to the U.S. are likely to encounter significant back-ups, long lines and wait times at the airport. They’re also likely to find fewer bargains on flights and accommodations, especially for hotels in popular U.S. cities, such as New York, Los Angeles and Orlando.

To read more, go here. 

CDC Abdicates Infectious Disease Role to Target Gun Owners

Over the years, trust in the federal government has diminished among the American people. Scandals, overstepping legal bounds and over-regulation are just some of the culprits for mistrust.

The latest (and it has been going on for a while) is the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), whose mission was to identify and fight infectious disease. They are now stepping into areas that were not intended to be under their purview.

Now, they are going after gun owners.

According to the NRA-ILA:

In the wake of its haphazard response to an actual infectious disease and waning credibility, one might expect the CDC to exhibit a modicum of humility. However, even with its pandemic mission incomplete, the CDC appears intent on wasting what's left of its diminished political capital to attack law-abiding gun owners.

In late August, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky granted CNN an interview to announce the agency's plans to target gun owners. Walensky said of firearms, "I swore to the President and to this country that I would protect your health. This is clearly one of those moments, one of those issues that is harming America's health."

Perhaps foreshadowing a CDC focus on gun confiscation orders, sometimes termed "Red Flag" or emergency risk protection orders, Walensky noted, "The firearm injury is probably the most distal part of what happens. It is the end event. What are the 10, 12, 15 things where we could have intervened before that singular event?"

Mirroring anti-gun organizations’ messaging playbooks, Walensky was careful to disguise her effort in palatable terminology. The director told CNN, "Generally, the word gun, for those who are worried about research in this area, is followed by the word control, and that's not what I want to do here... I'm not here about gun control. I'm here about preventing gun violence and gun death."

As with so much of the intellectually exhausted anti-gun campaign, longtime gun rights supporters have seen this all before.

Is there any wonder why people mistrust the federal government, especially when radical leftists are in control of it?

To read more, go here.

Cruise Lines To Follow CDC Guidelines Voluntarily

Above, a Florida sunset from a cruise ship. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The battle between the state of Florida and the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has gotten murkier.

TravelPulse reported:

If you’re having trouble keeping up with the latest developments in Florida's legal battle against the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to overturn its Conditional Sailing Order (CSO) for cruise lines, you’re not alone.

Since Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis filed a lawsuit against the federal agency in April, multiple conflicting rulings have been handed down. First, on June 19, Federal District Judge Steven Merryday sided with DeSantis by issuing a preliminary injunction order against the CDC, preventing the agency from enforcing its CSO regulations in the state of Florida.

One month later, a panel of three judges in Atlanta’s 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed that decision, upholding the CDC’s right to impose COVID-19 regulations on the cruise ship industry. Florida’s government promptly appealed this ruling, which would have stayed Merryday’s original injunction. Less than a week later, on July 23, the same three-judge panel said it was withdrawing its earlier decision, stating that the CDC had, "failed to demonstrate an entitlement to a stay pending appeal."

The ruling was flipped shortly after Florida's attorney general asked the Supreme Court to step in on an emergency basis to block the CDC’s COVID-19 cruise protocols the very same day that, arguing that the state was, "all but guaranteed to lose yet another summer cruise season while the CDC pursues its appeal," Reuters reported.

The CDC explained in a statement issued Tuesday that, as a result of the appeals court’s reversed reversal, the CSO’s detailed safety measures and technical instructions, "have become nonbinding recommendations for cruise ships arriving in, located within, or departing from a port in Florida. CDC will continue to operate the CSO as a voluntary program for these ships."

It also reported that, despite the latest ruling, "All Florida-porting ships have chosen to voluntarily follow the [CSO]."

This should be looked upon as a victory for Gov. Ron DeSantis who said this isn't about restarting the cruise lines, it is all about power of a federal agency by overreaching its authority "not explicitly delineated by law."

To read the full article, go here.

Florida Takes CDC Regulations To Supreme Court

 

Above, the Fort Lauderdale cruise line terminal. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

"Don't you think you're bounding over your steps?!" - Stan Laurel to a cop in The Music Box.

"He means, overstepping your bounds," Oliver Hardy corrected.

That appears to be the case with the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention when it comes to Florida's cruise ship industry. The state is taking the CDC to the U.S. Supreme Court.

According to TravelPulse:

The State of Florida is taking its fight with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to the Supreme Court.

Florida's attorney general asked the Supreme Court on Friday to step in on an emergency basis to block COVID-19 protocols put in place by the CDC requiring the cruise lines to meet certain conditions before they can sail again.

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody initially won a court ruling when it was determined the CDC protocols for returning cruise ships to the sea were beyond its authority. But when a federal appeals court sided with the government agency, it was back to square one, prompting her outreach to the nation’s highest court on Friday.

For the better part of 16 months, the CDC has virtually shut down the cruise ship industry, which is one of Florida's biggest industries.

To read more, go here. 

U.S. Government Lowers Japan Travel Warning Level

Above, the Kachidoki Bridge and the Sumida River in Tokyo. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has lowered their Japan travel advisory level a notch. But that doesn't mean people can just hop on a plane and go there.

For citizens who must travel to Japan, they should make sure they are fully vaccinated first.

According to SoraNews24:

Last month, the United States’ CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and Department of State placed Japan on its list of Level-4 travel advisory countries, the highest possible ranking and one which carries a “do not travel” warning, due to the country’s coronavirus conditions. Just over two weeks later, though, Japan has now been removed from Level-4 status.

The change, effective as of June 9 (Japan time), is still only one step down, as the CDC and State Department now have Japan at Level 3. That doesn’t mean the U.S. government is encouraging citizens to hop on a plane for Japan, however, as the country’s Level-3 classification reflects a “high level of COVID-19 in Japan” and still comes with a “reconsider travel” caution meant to dissuade nonessential trips.

To read more, go here. 

Florida Governor vs. CDC

Above, the Fort Lauderdale cruise ship terminal. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It appears that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is trying to use its "iron boot" to make the state of Florida comply with its regulations concerning the cruise ship industry and vaccinations. Gov. Ron DeSantis has issued an executive order banning the use of so-called Vaccine Passports.

TravelPulse reported:

As cruise lines prepare to return to service in the United States, there is a showdown brewing in Florida between Governor Ron DeSantis and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) over COVID-19 vaccinations.

Governor DeSantis signed an Executive Order in April banning businesses operating in the state from asking for proof that customers received a COVID-19 vaccination, a ruling with major implications on Florida’s cruise industry.

Travel advisors and legal experts weighed in on the ongoing battle.

“I firmly believe that the CDC will be able to override Florida Governor DeSantis on the vaccine requirement,” Florida-based travel advisor Scott Lara told TravelPulse. “While I appreciate the Governor resisting so-called Vaccine Passports, we must keep cruise passengers healthy.”

Earlier this week, the CDC approved Celebrity Cruises to become the first cruise line to set sail with paying passengers on board. The ship is scheduled to depart from Fort Lauderdale on June 26.

It will be interestng to see how this one turns out.

To read more, go here. 

Navajo Nation Leaders Keeping Mask and Other Restrictions

Above, inside a Monument Valley Navajo hogan. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It looks like Monument Valley and other tribal parks in the Navajo Nation will remain closed for the time being despite CDC recommendations.

USA Today reported:

Navajo Nation leaders are keeping mask restrictions and social distancing despite a high COVID-19 vaccination rate and CDC recommendations.

As the COVID-19 pandemic began spreading across the world, Graham Beyale at first figured he'd be safe inside his home along the dusty red dirt roads of the Navajo Nation reservation.

But as more and more news came out about how the virus spread— and how quickly— Beyale got nervous. At the time, he was living in a traditional one-room home called a hogan with 11 other people. No running water. No toilet.

Like many of his approximately 400,000 fellow Diné, most of whom live on the 27,000-square-mile reservation sprawling across northern New Mexico, Arizona and a small portion of southern Utah, Beyale, 31, knew medical care could be a long drive away. And the Navajo, who suffer from high rates of diabetes and obesity, have historically been susceptible to viral infections, including the 2009 H1N1 swine flu epidemic.

Frankly, I don't blame the tribal leaders for being extra cautious. A part of the Navajo Nation is just across Interstate 40 from me.

To read more, go here.

New Mexico Adopts New CDC Mask Guidance

Above, yours truly at the Albuquerque Sunport in January. Photo by Mitch Geriminsky.

New Mexico has adopted the guidance on face masks that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced yesterday.

According to KOB Channel 4:

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The New Mexico Department of Health announced Friday that the state will be adopting the CDC's updated guidance on face masks for those who are fully vaccinated.

The CDC's new guidance says that in most circumstances, fully vaccinated individuals are no longer required to wear a mask in either indoor or outdoor settings.

All individuals who are unvaccinated or not yet fully vaccinated are still required, per the public health order and CDC guidance, to wear a mask in public settings.

People are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after their second dose, or two weeks after the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

I received my two Pfizer vaccine doses in February.

To read more, go here. 

CDC: Fully Vaccinated Can Ditch The Mask

Above, yours truly at Denny's last June.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that those who are fully vaccinated can ditch with masks indoors and outdoors in most circumstances.

NBC News reported:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Thursday that people who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 no longer need to wear masks or physically distance — whether indoors or outdoors in most circumstances.

"We have all longed for this moment when we can get back to some sense of normalcy," the CDC's director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, said during a media briefing Thursday afternoon.

"Based on the continuing downward trajectory of cases, the scientific data on the performance of our vaccines and our understanding of how the virus spreads," Walensky said, "that moment has come for those who are fully vaccinated."

 Let's see if New Mexico Gov. "Malevolent Michelle" Lujan Grisham takes heed of the CDC announcement and ends the mandatory mask requirement in the state for the fully vaccinated.

Those who refuse to get vaccinated now have an incentive to get it.

To read more, go here.